Schmoo
- Strange creature created by illustrator/writer, Al Capp in August 1948 for his "Li'l Abner" comic strip. Resembling a blob
of white with eyes, mouth, whiskers and two legs, the Schmoo was known to lay
eggs, give milk and if you were lucky enough to catch one for dinner, they
tasted like beef and chicken. These all purpose food sources lived in
the valley of the Schmoon.

When Lil' Abner first discovered the Schmoo in the Valley of the Schmoon near
Dogpatch, USA, a
man named Ol' Man Mose warned that the Schmoo was the "greatest menace to hoomanity
the world has evah known." Curious, Li'l Abner asks, "Why, because they is so
bad, Huh?" Mose replies, "No stupid! Because they're so good."

The Schmoon breed (asexually) at such a tremendous rate that they made the
perfect food source. In addition, their pelts made great boot leather; their
whiskers, toothpicks; and their eyes, suspender buttons.

Unfortunately, with easy access to food and raw materials for everyday life,
some corporate entities felt threatened and supported rumors that people were becoming lazy
and that the economy would suffer as the lack of will to work evaporated. To rescue
Mankind, the US government set out to eradicate all of the Schmoon for the
supposed public good.

The Schmoon also appeared in comic books and on the animated cartoon THE NEW SCHMOO/NBC/1979 where it was an assistant to three teenage paranormal
investigators (later the same cartoons were incorporated into the animated
series FRED AND BARNEY MEET THE SCHMOO/NBC/1979-80). See also "Tribbles"

TRIVIA NOTE: The Hanna-Barbera cartoon THE
HERCULOIDS/CBS/1967-69 featured Gloop and Gleep,
two Schmoo-like characters who lived in the land of Amzot on the planet Quasar.